Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.5 · IELTS General Essentials · 2026-09-09

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You have enrolled in an evening course but you have found that you are too busy to continue and would like to take the course next term instead.

• explain the situation and why you cannot continue the course

• say what you would like to do about your studies

• ask for advice about what you can do about the situation

Student answer (Band 5.5)

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to request for an exemption for this term evening course. My sister had an accident on the 7th July 2026 and is been hospitalised therefore she would require my assistance at the hospital. I would like to be excused from this year course as it would be rather challenging to concentrate in my studies. She is an orphan and incapable of taking care of herself, however I require your advice on how to handle this situation. I was wondering if I could take a break for the mean time and render some help to her. Furthermore, I also require an exemption letter from the department in order to

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 5.0

The response fails to meet the minimum word count requirement of 150 words, as it is only 113 words long. This significantly impacts the development of the ideas. While you have addressed the three bullet points—explaining the situation, stating your desire to defer, and asking for advice—the brevity prevents a full development of these points. The letter ends abruptly, which suggests an incomplete response. To improve, you must expand on your explanation and provide a more formal, complete closing. Because the task is under-length, the score is limited to a 5.0, as the response is only partially developed.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.0

The letter is logically organized, with a clear opening and a progression of ideas that follows the task requirements. You use basic cohesive devices such as 'however' and 'furthermore' to link your sentences. However, the paragraphing is insufficient; the entire body of the letter is contained within a single block, which makes it harder to read. To improve, you should separate your introduction, the explanation of your situation, your request, and your closing into distinct paragraphs. The abrupt ending also disrupts the overall flow and coherence of the letter.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.0

You have a sufficient range of vocabulary to communicate your situation, such as 'exemption', 'hospitalised', and 'incapable'. However, there are some inaccuracies in word choice and collocation. For example, 'request for an exemption for this term evening course' is slightly unnatural; 'request a deferral for this evening course' would be more precise. Additionally, 'render some help' is a bit formal/unusual in this context. You should aim to use more natural collocations and ensure your vocabulary is consistently appropriate for a formal letter to an educational institution.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You demonstrate a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. However, there are several grammatical errors that affect the quality of the writing. For instance, 'is been hospitalised' should be 'has been hospitalised', and 'in my studies' should be 'with my studies'. The phrase 'for the mean time' should be 'in the meantime'. While these errors do not completely impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher band score. You should focus on subject-verb agreement and correct preposition usage to improve your accuracy.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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